Why is Fedora not a Free GNU/Linux distributions?

[Les]

On Thu, 2008-07-17 at 09:45 -0700, Gordon Messmer wrote:
> John Cornelius wrote:
> > This discussion is becoming both increasingly religious and somewhat 
> > oblique in its depictions of the elements under discussion. It may be 
> > instructive to review the classic definitions of some of these elements 
> > in order to clarify in the minds of zealots from the several sides of 
> > the discussion and thereby promote a more rational discussion.
> 
> Can you cite any consensus based definition of "operating system" other 
> than what you've provided?  I think that the POSIX specification is 
> generally agreed to be the definition of one operating system interface, 
> and it includes the shells, editors, compilers, etc that you've decided 
> aren't part of an operating system.
> 
> That's what we're getting at.  GNU/Linux is an operating system.  Linux 
> is one of the kernels that GNU *can* use, and one of the most common 
> that it does.
> 
> > GNU is not an operating system it is, and as far as I know always has 
> > been, a tool kit that is platform and operating system independent.
> 
> I think that the GNU developers disagree with you.  What makes your 
> opinion more valid than theirs?
> 
> > GNU is not Linux and Linux is not GNU, it's just an evolution of a 
> > movement started by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie nearly 40 years ago.
> > 
> > Whoda thunk?
> 
> I think you're giving Ken and Dennis too much credit.  As far as I 
> understand it, Unix was only distributed free of charge because ATT was 
> concerned that its monopoly status prevented it from entering new 
> markets.  Look at Plan 9.  Free Software?  Nope.
> 
> GNU modeled its operating system after Unix because it was a common 
> system, not because there was any particular sharing of ideals or goals.
> 
The US government paid for the development of UNIX. That was the
original source of its being "free".  The people of the US owned it.

I got that from some folks very close to the source.